Field-gun carriage.



s Is. CLARKE. FIELD GUN CARRIAGE (Applicationfiled Jan. 25, 1.901.Renewed Sept. 21, 1901.) I

(No Model.)

awuew coz m MM flaw a 2? WW WflW UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE SYDENHAM CLARKE, OF'LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO EDMUND L.ZALINSKI, OF THE UNlTED STATES ARMY.

Pisto -cu N CARRIAGE.

QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters P atent hi0. 686,713, datedNovember 19, 19.01. -i

Application filed January 25, 1901. Renewed September-J1, 190 1. SerialNo. 76.089. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SYDENHAM CLARKE, residing at London, England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Field-GuuCarriages, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to carriages for fieldguns. c

The object of the invention is to provide a field-gun carriage with ananchor or spade to resist recoil, which spade shall permit a freetraverse or swing ofthe gun-carriage without detachment and'which willpermit recoil and return the carriage to firing position after recoil.

Figure 1 is a section of a gun-carriage with anchor mechanism attachedand shown'in eleverfo'r holding up spade.

ration, some other parts being also shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is asection of carriage and anchor mechanism. Fig. 3 is an elevation ofspade and cylinders detached. Fig. 4 is a detail section of sleeve andelevation of le- Fig.'5.is a broken section showing connection of leverto trail.

The numeral 1 indicates the axle of a gun carriage, 2 a wheel, and 3 thetrail of a fieldgun carriage, which maybe of anyusual construction. -Asshown, the trail is a metallic shell. A bracket 4 is forged or otherwiserigidly connected to the axle at the center thereof and directly underthe gun, and to this bracket a hollow cylinder 5 is connected by apivot, the bracket and the end of the cylinder thus being connected, sothat the cylinder 5 may swing as a pendulum lengthwise of with a forcejust less'than enough to sustain such weight.

the gun. A second andjsmallercylinder 6 telescopes within the cylinder5, being-free both to turn and slide therein, but being prevented fromwithdrawal by any suitable mechanism, as by the attachment of the spring7 to both sections of the cylinder.

coiled spring 7 within the two cylinders tends to project the smallercylinder. The strength of this spring is sustain the weight of the gunand carriage, but will press the smaller cylinder outward The smallercylinder 6 has a broad spade S attached thereto -and preferably providedwitha serrated end.

The

and by the cable the recoil has exhausted itself such that it will notquite rent without removing length of the cylinders is such as to forcethe spade well into the ground whenthe axle is directly over the spadeand to secure a good engagement of the spade when the gun is forward, asin Figs. land 2. The cylinder5 has otherwise attached. The trail has asleeve-or bar 10, extending crosswise and provided with a hook 11, whichmay engage book 9 on the a hook or socket 9.,connected to'a ring orcylinder when the said cylinder is swung up against the trail, (dottedlines, Fig. 1,) and this sleeve or bar may be rocked by lever 12, so asto bring hook 11 into engagement with hook 9 and hold the cylinder andspade in upward position. Lever 12 may be held against the trail by apin 13, passing through a hole in the lever and into a hole in thetrail, or I other means for holding the lever in locked positioumay beemployed. The spade or its handle, which is cylinder 6, is connected toa strong spring l5'by a cable or cables 16, at-

tached-to the spade and to the spring or to a the spring. A casing 19,

guide-rod 18 within incloses the spring firmly secured to the trail, 15,and the spring bears said cylinder when compressed.

Any of the usual mechanisms-for regulating the tension of the springsmay be employed, such mechanism being common in several of theanechanicarts.

The'gun being in firing position, as in Fig. 1, will on firingibe drivenback by the recoil, forcing the spade more firmly into the ground 16compressing the spring 15. As soon as (and the usual wheel-brakes mayassist in checking the recoil) the spring 15, drawing on the cable 16and spade 8, forces the gun and carriage forward, and so the gun isautoagainst the end of matically returned to firing position after eachdischarge.

As the spade handle or cylinder 6 is free to turn in the cylinder 5, thecarriage may be swung about the spade to a considerable ex-' the spadefrom the. ground. This is an important advantage over usualconstructions.

. The drawings do not purport to give exact constructions andproportions, but only the essential elements,'which are in actual construction varied according to the gun-carriage construction andtherequirements of usage. The claims indicate the scope otjwhat I be lievemy invention to embrace.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The combination with a field-gun carriage, of aspade-anchor hinged to the axle," and having a telescopic extension tothe stern.

thereof. V

2. The combination withthe axle of a fieldgnn carriage, of a cylinderhinged thereto, a second cylinder within the first, extensible androtatable therein, a spade'anchor connected to'the second cylinder, andmeans for projecting the second cylinder.

The combination with a field-gun car'- riage, of a cylinder hinged tothe axle thereof, a spring inclosed within the cylinder, a

spade anchor extensibly supported by the spring and rotatable withrelation to the cylihder, and means connecting the spade to the trail ofthe gun.

4. The combination with theaxle of a gnnearr'ia'ge, of a spade-anchorhaving its support hinged to the axle and rotatable rein-- tivelythereto, a spring connected tot'netrail, and a flexible connect-ion fromsaid spring to the spade, whereby the spring is compressed as thecarriage recoils, substantially as described. Y

5. 1m combination with a gun-carriage, a spade-anchor extensiblypropelled by a spring from said axle, and capable of swivelmovelIlBllUIGlLbiVGlY13116112430, a spring: attached to the trail, and aflexible connection from the spade to-the trail-or recoil-spring,substantially as described.

